Drawing glass cylinders.



F. L. O. WADSWORTH. DRAWING GLASS CYLINDERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2, 190sv 1,166,025. flqtented Dec. 28, 191-5 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fl E- l- F. L. O. WADSWORTH. DRAWING GLASS CYLINDERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, 1908- Y Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGZ.

4 WITNESSES Fill? F. L. O. WADSWORTH. DR AWING GLASS CYLINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1908.

Patented Dec. 28, I915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR UNTTE FRANK I1. 0. XVADSVORTH, OF SEWIGKLEY,

PENNSYLVANZA.

DBAW'IITG GLASS CYLINDERS.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Application filedv March 1:2, 1998. Serial No. 420,648.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. O. El Answon'rmresiding at Sewiclcley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a. citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful improvements in Drawing Glass Cylinders, of which improvements the following a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in the drawing of glass cylinders, and has for one. object the isolation or inclosure at the beginning of the operation of a mass or quantity of air or other fluid within. a container formed wholly, or in part, by the cylinder being drawn, and then regulating the pressure of such isolated. or inclosed fluid, whereby a uniform expansive action determining the internal diameter of the cylinder may be maintained during the entire drawing operation.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed. Other objects will appear from. the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, l igure 1 is a sectional elevation of a form of apparatus adapted for the practice of my improved method; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing certain modifications in the construction and combination of the operating parts or elements; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on a plane indicated by the line Ill-ill of Fig. 1, showing the clamp for engaging the cylinder; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view showing parts of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 at the beginning of the fori'nation of a cylinder; Fig. 5'is a plan view showing the relative arrangement of the glass pot or container in Fig. 1 with the i'orehearth of the melting -furnace; Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the apparatus shown in F ig. 2, showing a construction whereby in the use of such ap- 'paratus the fluid container may be formed wholly within the cylinder being drawn; Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation illustrating further modifications of my improvements, in which the pressure within the fluid container is regulated by heat, also showing the fluid container formed wholly within the. cyl

inder being formed.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the lneltingtank 1 is provided with a forehearth in which is formed the dog-house 2 for conducting the glass from the tank to the drawing receptacle or pot'3, which is supported by any suitable means in proper relation to the outlet of the dog-house, as clearly shown. The supporting pocket t for the pot 'or receptacle 3 is so constructed as to form in connection with the pot a. chamber 5 into which gas may be introduced for heating the glass within the pot.

At the beginning of the operation the bait (S, which may be of any suitable construction. is lowered down so that its edges are submerged in the glass contained in the pot 3. This bait as shown has a recess in its underside for the reception of a. piston or diaphragm 7 having a collapsible periphery formed by a flexible tube 8 of asbestos or other suitable material. This diaphragm is carried by a tube 9 passing down through a plug 10 having annular walls and inserted through an opening in the bottom of the pot so that its upper end will project above the.

level of the glass in the pot. This plug is surrounded with fire-clay or other resisting material and remo ably supported in position by means of clamps 11. The tube 9 has its lower end threaded for the reception of a toothed nut 12, which is normally held stationary as against vertical movement by pivotal arm 13 having forks at their ends for the reception of the threaded rod when the arms are swung into position above and below the nut. The piston or diaphragm 7 has lateral passages connecting the tube 9 with the inflatable periphery of the diaphra m, and the lower end of the tube 9 is detac iably connected to a pipe 14 leading to a suitable source oi? supply of fluid pressure, such for example as the pipe 15. This pipe or connection 14: from the tubular rod 9 to the supply pipe 15 is formed in part by an extensible joint 16, so as to permit of the lower sections of the pipe 14: moving up and down with the tubular rod 9 without breaking the connection with the supply pipe 15. It will be understood of course that other forms of 'flexibleconnections can be employed in lieu of the sliding connection or joint 16. The connection between the tubular rod 9 and the pipe 14 consists of a socket 17 carried by the pipell, for the reception of the lower end of the tubular piston rod 9. This socket is held up against the end of the piston rod 9 by suitable means, as for example by weigats 18 connected by cords 19 fPatented Dec. 28, 1915.,

passing over guide pulleys 20 to the movable section 14. The toothed nut 12 intermeshes with a pinion 21 carried by the arms 13 and rotated by the shaft 22 through a sprocket chain connection or other suitable means. This shaft is rotated by means of one of the threaded rods 23 employed for shifting the clamps as hereinafter described. The connection between the'shaft 22 and rod 28 is formed by a reversible clutch 24 of the usual or any suitable construction, so that although the threaded rod 23 is always rotated in the same direction, the shaft 22 may be rotated in either direction or stopped entirely, as required for the adjustment of the diaphragm 7 as hereinafter described.

The passage in the plug 10 through which the rod 9 passes is connected by a pipe 25 having a regulative valve 27 to a source of fluid supply, as the main 26, leading to any suitable blowing apparatus. This pipe is also connected by a branch 27 to a gasometer, consisting of a stationary shell 28 and an inverted shell29 having its lower edge extending below the surface of a liquid contained in the shell 28. When the valve 27 is closed, the pressure of the air or other fluid within the cylinder being formed and below the diaphragm 7 may be varied, by varying the weight of the inverted shell 29. In the construction shown a lever 30 having a fixed fulcrum is connected by a link 31 to the shell 29 and has a weight 82 adjustably mounted thereon.

The plug 10 is prevented from being injuriously heated bythe surrounding glass by a cooling fluid supplied through the pipe 33 having an extensible connection 34 to a suitable source, the cooling fluid escaping after circulation through the plug by the pipe 35 having a similar ggtensible connection.

As before stated, at the beginning of the operation the bait is lowered until its edges are immersed in the glass, the diaphragm 7 .at that time resting on the plug 10 and inclosed within the recess in the bait. The tubular periphery of the diaphragm or piston is at this time collapsed. As the bait moves up drawing a shell of glass with it, the piston" or diaphragm 7 is also moved up by the rotation of the toothed nut 12. The bait of course continues its movement up, but the upward movement of the piston is arrested by opening the clutch 24 when the piston or diaphragm has attained a desired height within the cylinder being formed.

Simultaneously with this arrest of the upward movement of the piston the valve 27 is closed, so that thereafter there will be a fixed mass of airor other fluid in the container, which, in the construction shown in Fig. 1, consists of the portion of the glass cylinder below the piston, the passage through the plug 10, the pipe 25, the valve 27 and the gasometer or collapsible chamber. Snnultanously with the stoppage of vmovement of the piston the valve o in the gasometer. The gasometer construction permits of the automatic maintenance of any desired pressure within the container, but such pressure can be increased or diminished by shifting the weight 32 on the lever 30.

The drawing of the glass by the bait is continued until a sul'licient length has been formed to permit of the application of the upper clamp A shown in Fig. 1. After this clamp has been attached to the cylinder the drawing is continued by the oint action of the bait and clamp until the upper end of the cylinder has risen through the operating floo'r. The bait can then be cracked off in any suitable manner and the drawing thereafter continued by the alternative use of the clamps A and B. As cl arly shown in F 1 and 3, these clamps A and B are similar in construction, and each consists of curved arms 36 pivoted together at one end and adapted to have thei opposite ends drawn toward each other to grip the glass by any suitable means, such as a threaded bolt and nut 38. As shown in Fig. 23, the pivot pin of the arms Ell) is made annular for the reception of a post 37" on the supporting ring 37. The annular pivot pinv is made larger than the post 37" and the opposite ends of the arms 36 bear on lugs 37" projecting from the ring. This construction permits the automatic adjustment of the clamps on the supporting and pulling ring 37. .lt'ach ring 37 has lugs 39 formed on its periphery at diametrically opposite points grooved at their outer edges for the reception of the threaded rods 23. Hall nuts 40 are pivoted to these lugs and are adapted to be drawn in against the threaded rods by any suitable means as a pivoted link ll. as shown in Fig. 5, thereby locking the ring carrying the clain 'iing arms to the threaded "The upward inovemel.

.diaphragm 54 can be limited in any suitable lower end. The first clamp can then be disengaged .by opening the arms 36 and the threaded hinged sections 40, and the clamp (A) moved down toward the second clamp B and there again engaged with the glass cylinder. As soon as the upper clamp has been applied, the lower clamp can be in turn released both from the cylinder and from the threaded rods, and also lowered to take a new grip lower down on the cylinder. Thus for most of the time both clamps will engage and will pull together on the cylinder, one near the top and one near the bottom.

The threaded rods 23 are rotated by means of a suitable motor 43, preferably electric,

and connected to both of the threaded rods through suitable gearing orsprockets so as to insure the uniform rotation of both threaded rods.

The complete severance of a section from,

hoisting rope 52 and passing around guide pulleys on a swinging arm 53, is connected to the cylinder prior to the cracking'off.

In order to prevent any broken glass from dropping down into the cylinder below the line of severance, a protecting dia phragm or piston 54 is provided, havin a collapsible periphery 55 and also preferaily provided with a flexible apron 56 bearing against the inner walls of the cylinder. This piston iscarried by' a rod 57 which passes down into the tubular piston rod 9 and it is adapted to be forced up to desired position by fluid pressure in this piston rod. of the protecting manner, as for exainple by the formation of a shoulder at the lower end of rod 57 engaging the end wall of the hollow piston rod' ing of cylinders. In Fig. 2 I have shown a desirable form of apparatus for drawing piston rod 9? passes through the bait and is provided at its upper end with a suitable lifting means, such for example as a piston 62 arranged within a cylinder. 63. The bait is connected to a suitable hoisting mech anism, preferably by means of ropes 64:

.wound on drums 65 and connected to oppositepoints of the ring 66, which is provided With trunnions arranged from the points of connection of the ropes (5d and mounted in lugs 68 on the bait. This construction will equalize the draft and prevent any irregular pull due to the unequal stretching of the ropes. 1

As shown in Fig. 4 the bait is provided with arms 69 having grooved portions. 7 0 to engage the guide rods 71 so as to steady the movement of the bait. i

The cylinder 63 is connected at a point below the normal travel of the piston 62 to a high fluid pressure supply pipe 72 pro: vided with a three-way valve 73, whereby the flow of fluid pressure to and from the cylinder is controlled. This high pressure line is also connected by a branch 74 having a regulating valve 75 to a cylinder 76, into which projects the upper end of the pipe 77 passing down through the bait and connected to passages in the piston 7 leading to the interior of the hollow flexible periphery. 8 of said piston. The lever operating I the valve 7 is connected by a rope 78 to a handle 79, said rope being also connected to a branch rope 80 leading to a clamp operating handle 81. This handle is adapted to cause a sleeve 8:2, provided with teeth intermeshing with the pinion 83, to engage the plston rod-9 so that said rod and its piston may be seemed atany desired height. VVhen the pull on the handle 79 and on the attached cord or rope 80 is released, the clamp operating handle 81 is returned to its initial position by the spring 84:, and the piston rod 9 is released. The upper portion of the cylinder 63 is connected by apipe 85 having a valve 86 to a suitable source of fluid, such as air preferably under a slight pressure. This pipe is connected-by a branch 87 to a gasometer similar to that described in connection with Fig. 1. In this construction means are provided for shifting the movable shell of the gasometer by means of a motor 88. This means consists of in-tern'ieshing beveled pinions 89 driven by the motor, and clutch mechanism 90 connecting the shaft of one of the beveled pinions with the threaded rod 91 which engages a nut connected by a link 93 with the lever 30. By throwing this clutch in 1:0

annular combustion chamber 114 is formed by the pot or receptacle and a circular wall 115 resting on the ledge or extension 112. This chamber is connected by flues 116 with the combustion chamber in the dog-house 2. The products of combustion escape from the chamber ll4 through the flue 118, through which any glass may also escape when the bowl 110 is lifted from its stool. When the bowl is to be renewed the gate 119 is closed, so that only glass in the bowl and above the top of the stool will be wasted.

In Fig. 7- is also shown a construction whereby the pressure of the fluid in the container may be regulated by heat. The

heater 120 whichis preferably electric, is

supported on the sleeve 104, the Wires for the circuit of the heater passing down through the sleeve and connecting through a rheostat 121 with a suitable source of current. The heating effect within the cylinder, andthe resultant variation in pressure of the inclosed fluid, can be controlled and varied by shifting the arm of the rheostat either by hand or automatically by gears connected through a clutch 122 with gears 24.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 7, it will be seen that the glass flows from the melting chamber through the dog-house 2 to the drawing pots, and that the flow of glass from the melting chamber is controlled by a valve 131 and from the dog-house to the pots by a valve 119. The dog-house or chamber 2 is made sufliciently large to serve as a combustion chamber, gas being introduced by the pipes 132. By properly ad justing the valves 119 and 131 the flow of glass can be regulated and in its flowthrough the dog-house the temperature of the glass can be varied as required by theconditions of work. W

I claim herein as my mventlon:

1. The method of drawing glass cylinders, which consists in drawing a cylinder of glass from a receptacle, sealing a mass or quantity of fluid in a container including the plastic portion of the cylinder, and varying the pressure of the contained fluid.

2. Thc'method of drawing glass cylinders, which consists in drawing acylinder of glass from a receptacle, sealing a mass or quantity of fluid in a container including the plastic portion of the cylinder, and changing the capacity of the container without changing the quantity of the contained fluid.

3. In an apparatus for drawing glass cyl-' inders, the combination with drawing mechanism and means for supplying air to the cylinder being drawn, of means for sealing a portion of the cylinder, means for closing the air-supply, and means operative when 4. In'an apparatus for drawing glass, the.

combination of a receptacle for the glass, a diaphragm or piston, means for moving the diaphragm or piston relatively to the receptacle, and means for drawing a shell of glass from the receptacle over the diaphragm or piston.

5. In an apparatus for drawing glass cyl inders, the combination of a receptacle for the glass, a piston or diaphragm arranged in suitable relation to the receptacle, means for drawing a shell of glass from the receptacle and over the diaphragm, a fluid receptacle connected to the shell being drawn below the diaphragm, and means for changing the capacity of the receptacle.

6. In an apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, the combination of a receptacle for the glass, a piston or diaphragm arranged in suitable relation to the receptacle, means for drawing a shell of glass from the receptacle and over the diaphragm, a fluid receptacle connected to the shell being formed intermediate of the diaphragm and the glass receptacle, and means for maintaining a uniform pressure of fluid in -the fluid receptacle while varying the volume of the contained fluid.

7. In an apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, the combination with drawing mechanism, of a diaphragm having an inflatable periphery and adapted to seal the cylinder being drawn, means for supplying fluid t0.

the periphery of the diaphragm, and means for adjusting the diaphragm.

S. In an apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, the combination of drawing mechanism, a ring movable by the drawing mechanism, and clamping arms carried by the ring and adapted to be shifted thereon to clamp the cylinder being drawn.

9. In an apparatus for drawing glass cylinders, the combination with an annular bait, of a ring pivotally secured to the bait at diametrically opposite points, a drawing mechanism, and connections between the drawing mechanism and the ring secured to the ring at pointsbctween said points of pivotal connection.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK L. O. WVADSWORTH. Witnesses:

CHARLES BARNETT, FRANCIS J. ToMAss0N'. 

